Bookworm: A Little Sparrow Song
by itakethewords
Summary: A mini story from the story 'Little Sparrow'. Suzumi opens up about her past with Baba while Soryu is away. Friends, hobbies, and a mysterious stranger in a bookstore who literally sweeps her off her feet every time they meet.
**Author's Note:** _So recently_ Little Sparrow _hit 50 reviews and I was over the moon. I love my readers and the love they show me in reviews, PMs, and the fact that you've all stuck with me over over a year and a half with that story. As a thank you, I chose two people to write mini stories for. One was my 50th reviewer, who also happens to be one of my regular awesome reviewers. I offered to write a story based in_ Little Sparrow _dedicated to them._

 _So **Aerl** , this story is for you! Thanks for being a dedicated reviewer and fan of _Little Sparrow _! You get the inaugural mini story! I hope you enjoy!_  
 _And for everyone else, please enjoy as well and leave a review to tell me what you think! I plan on doing this a little more frequently with reviewers if everyone likes this._

 _This story is set in the_ Little Sparrow _world, within Suzumi's first 9 1/2 months with the bidders at the Tres Spades (within the first 20 chapters of_ Little Sparrow _)._

 **Disclaimer** : _I own Suzumi and other original characters. Voltage owns the rest._

* * *

 **Bookworm: A Little Sparrow Song**

"Thank you for offering to treat me to lunch, Baba. This is a surprise."

Suzumi looked over her menu at the thief who sat across from her. Their table was small, but the room was brightly lit and tastefully decorated, like most things inside the Tres Spades. The small cafe was on the ground level of the hotel, a place of respite for guests just returning from business or recreation.

"No problem, Suzumi." Baba winked and watched as she looked back down at the choices. "I figure you're getting bored up in the suite with Soryu away and an outing is nice for a change of pace."

Smiling, she knew exactly why Baba was being so nice. Soryu had taken almost every Ice Dragon available to him down to Shiga and Kyoto and it was obvious she was going to worry a hole in the carpet with her constant pacing. He'd only left yesterday afternoon but knowing the danger set her nerves on end. She didn't think a simple lunch would distract her much, but Baba's gesture was nice. When the man came to take their order, Suzumi looked over at Baba, shutting the menu.

"What do you recommend, Baba? I haven't been to the cafe."

Baba smiled. "Leave it to me, then." Ordering two specials in a flawless Italian, Baba also chose a wine to pair with their meal before sending the waiter away. "Suzumi, I have a question for you."

Caught off guard, Suzumi swallowed the water she'd been sipping and blinked at the thief. "W-what's that?"

"Will you tell me what your other life was like?"

"You mean before I got mixed up in gangs and sold at auction?" she asked, a touch of snark in her tone.

"Naturally."

She sighed. "Why? Technically, I'm not that person anymore. I don't think it does any good to dwell on the past all that much."

Baba smiled softly but kept silent. Their waiter had come to pour the wine and, after a moment, spoke again when it was just the two of them. "Dwelling on the past and remembering the fond parts are two different things. Dwelling usually means you're thinking about the bad things or the things you wish you could change. Reminiscing is fondness and being thankful for the good things that keep you going and have made you who you are now."

"You sound like a grandpa giving advice, Baba," Suzumi laughed. Sputtering indignance, Baba covered his face in shame. "Sorry, Baba!"

"It's fine. I'll just sit here, my feelings hurt…"

"Stop! I'll tell you some things! Just stop making me feel bad!" Suzumi giggled and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "What do you want to know?"

Baba looked pensive, tapping a finger on his chin as he thought. "Well, tell me about your friends?"

"My friends?"

"Yeah, let's start there."

"Well… There was Moriko and Mizuki, twins who I grew up with. Then Yuri, who I met in college. And Hideaki. Oh, and Hiro."

"What were they like?"

Suzumi frowned, trying to describe her old friends. "Moriko liked to pretend like she was innocent, but she liked being in everyone's business. She was a little mom-like. Mizuki actually was innocent. More like naive. But she was the kind of person who could keep a leash on someone who easily got out of hand. Hideaki was dating Moriko. He was a friend of mine from my club in high school and I introduced them. He was a big computer nerd, good at coding and technology. Yuri went to university with me and was a year behind, but I'm pretty sure her goal in life was to just be a housewife. She was good at all that stuff where I wasn't. Cooking, mending, laundry… But she was in school to be a teacher. We were an interesting group of people."

Baba frowned, cocking his head to the side. "You forgot one. What about that Hiro you mentioned?"

Suzumi blushed faintly. "Hiro was an ex of mine. We dated for a few months but we weren't compatible. He was too flirty and I didn't have patience for that. He was an art major, too. Not down to earth enough for me. We stayed friends, though it was awkward at first."

"Well, good for you to be able to stay friends. It's hard for men and women to stay friends after dating."

"You think?"

Baba winked. "I've been around the block or two. I know some things. Tell me more?"

"More of what?"

"Tell me about your life before."

Suzumi sighed. "I wasn't very interesting, Baba. I was kind of a nerd. I went to school, graduated, read a lot of books as a hobby. Hung out with friends, did the usual thing."

* * *

 **Three Years Ago**

"Natsumi, want to see a movie later?" Natsumi looked up from the magazine she was reading and saw Moriko standing in front of her, hands on her hips. "You've had your nose buried in that magazine all afternoon. Do you want to go out with us?"

"What movie and who?" Unable to hide the skepticism in her voice, Natsumi eyed up Mori before closing her magazine. She smelled something fishy in the overly perky tone her friend was using.

Mori giggled nervously and started messing with her perfectly curled hair. Natsumi knew she was up to no good when she was willing to possibly foil a good hair day. This month's style of platinum curls played well into the innocent look she usually tried to put out. "Well, we wanted to see _Love Trick_. And it's me and Hideaki, Yuri is bringing that one guy she met at work...And Hiro."

"No."

"But…"

"You're trying to get me and Hiro back together. It wasn't working before and it won't work a second time. We're not compatible."

Mori pouted. "But Hideaki won't go if Hiro doesn't have a date!"

"Then ask your sister. You and I both know Mizuki likes Hiro."

"But she says she doesn't want you to hate her, so she won't make a move!"

"I will call her and tell her myself if I have to. But I'm not going. Besides, I was actually planning on going out in a bit." Natsumi closed her magazine and tossed it on the table. Standing, she stretched and made her way across her small apartment to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she pulled out a bottle of cold tea.

Mori snorted. "Let me guess, the bookstore."

Grimacing at how accurate her friend had her pegged, Natsumi sighed and took a long drink. She didn't deny that the bookstore was indeed part of her evening plans; there were several new books and copies of magazines she wanted to pick up and she had actually been looking forward to time by herself. She and Hiro had broken up two months before but kind yet meddlesome Moriko Fujishira kept trying to subtly put them together in a room for a possible reconciliation. Despite the fact that she knew Natsumi wanted nothing more in terms of romantic relationships with Hiro, Mori kept ignoring the fact that her younger twin sister Mizuki Fujishira had a crush on the man and was much better suited to his personality.

"Sorry, but no thanks. I have a date with some books. I'll text Mizu and tell her to ask him, that way she won't feel guilty."

An hour later, Natsumi was looking down at her phone, smiling at the grateful message Mizuki had sent her. Not paying attention to where she was going as she walked, she bumped into a sturdy form. Finding herself falling back, she she gasped at the sensation of the ground moving beneath her and shut her eyes, bracing for the impact. When she didn't feel the pavement hit her backside, her eyes snapped open in surprise.

"Are you okay?"

A tall man stood over her, one hand having grabbed Natsumi by the arm to keep her from falling. Dark hair slicked back and slender grey eyes stared down at Natsumi, the man hesitated a moment before pulling her up in a standing position.

Natsumi didn't answer, mouth open in surprise at the sight before her. The man looked like a real yakuza or mobster and was glaring at her. She managed to run right into someone like this, yet she was still alive, she could hardly believe it.

"Are you okay?" he repeated, brow furrowing.

"Y-yeah. Sorry about that. I wasn't paying attention…" Natsumi said, looking down. She spotted her phone laying on the sidewalk and bent to pick it up, but the man was quicker.

"This must be yours?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Not sticking around to hear a response, she dashed across the street and into the bookstore, breathing out a sigh of relief as the door shut behind her. Ignoring the confused look of the cashier, Natsumi walked deeper into the stacks, shaking off the shock of her run-in outside. It wasn't the fact that the man gave off an intimidating, slightly scary aura that shook her. It was the man's eyes that startled her. A clear grey, they didn't give off the same kind of standoffish, frightening feeling like the rest of him. They looked intelligent, level, and even kind. The overall feeling shot got from him wasn't complete fear, but something more intriguing. Shaking off the encounter, Natsumi began searching for some educational texts before looking for her fiction novels.

Two hours later, Natsumi's arms were stacked full of books. The stack being taller than herself, she had a hard time walking through the narrow aisles to get to the front. Pausing a moment, she took a moment to consider whether or not to put some back when someone bumped into her from behind. Her stack of books cascaded to the ground, numerous thumps echoing in the small shop, making her wince.

"Oh no!" On her hands and knees, she began gathering the scattered books, checking them over for any damage.

"I'm sorry, let me help."

Next to her, a masculine hand reached out for a book, handing it back to her to put on the top of the pile. Glancing at the person the hand was attached to, Natsumi gasped, seeing the stranger from outside with a worried expression on his face.

"Uhm…"

"Let me help. I wasn't paying attention this time." The man began quickly picking up the rest of the books, stacking them neatly in his arms. When he was done, he looked at her and gestured to the front. "Let's go to the front? I'll help you carry these."

He easily took the half dozen books left in her arms and, adding them to the stack he'd picked up, he started walking to the front. After a moment, Natsumi's brain kicked in and she followed him up to the counter and the cashier who was curiously watching the two of them and their encounter. He sat the books down on the counter and, adding one more book that was under his arm, he said,

"I'll pay for these."

"Wait, what?" Natsumi whipped her head up, confused.

"To apologize for today." The man didn't look her in the eye, but pulled out his wallet and handed over the cash at the cashier when she announced the total.

Natsumi shook her head. "No, I have a ridiculous amount of books! We just bumped into one another, it's fine!"

The man chuckled and took the bags from the cashier. Taking a few steps from the counter, he handed her the obviously larger bag. "Don't worry about it. Have a good night." Face still a cool mask, there was a light behind his grey eyes that indicated amusement at the flustered look on Natsumi's face. He walked past her with his single book, out the door and into the night.

"Good for you," the woman behind the counter chuckled, chin in hand, leaning on the counter. "See you next time, Miss Takara."

* * *

/*\

Suzumi looked down at the dessert sat down in front of her, the fruit compote glistening in the sunlight filtering into the cafe. When she looked up to comment on Baba's good choice, she was startled to see a complicated look on his face. "What's wrong?"

Baba seemed to snap back into the present when he heard her voice. Straightening up in his seat, he smiled jovially and picked up his own fork. "Oh nothing. Just lost in thought. I hope you enjoy the cake. It's one of my favorites. Eisuke gets a set amount brought in from the bakery in Jiyugaoka called Larme twice a week. They're small and the owner is a woman with a small staff, so we can't order them in dozens and once it's gone, it's gone until later in the week with the next shipment."

"For a thief, you're a terrible liar." She took a bite of the cake and savored the light flavor. Baba wasn't lying, it was great cake.

He signed and took a bite of his own dessert before answering. "I think this is the first personal thing any of us really know about you, Suzumi. You haven't expressed a lot of interest in specific hobbies. I didn't realize you were such a book lover."

"Well, I would have figured the fact that I speak a lot of foreign languages and graduated university would have meant I was nerdy like that." She shrugged and continued to eat her cake.

"Oh don't speak like that. We want to know you better. Did you ever meet that man who bought your books again?" Baba smirked, a mischievous look in his eyes.

Suzumi paused, taking a sip of tea. Thinking back, avoided the odd look on his face by staring out the window. "Well…"

* * *

 **Three Years Ago**

Several weeks later, Natsumi was back in the bookstore, chatting idly with the older woman behind the counter. There was another pile of books at her elbow and they were discussing the merits of each, trying to narrow down her purchases.

"As much as I want these books, I'm running out of room. My apartment is larger than average, but still. I'd gladly move for a bigger space if I could find a good job. Working as a secretary isn't exactly what I had in mind," Natsumi sighed.

The older woman nodded. "You're young, you're only twenty five. But if you want help, my son works as a consultant for a few different companies and I can see if he'll help you. You're one of my best customers."

"You're very kind, Mrs Sera. If it's not too much trouble, I would be very grateful."

Mrs Sera waved her off, smiling. "No trouble. Now, if you're looking to honestly walk out with just a couple of books, what about these?" She shuffled through the stack and picked the three that Natsumi had originally come in for.

Surprised, Natsumi gaped. "How did you…"

"Dear girl, you've been coming in here for ten years. I know you. Save the others for next time." She went to move the rejected books to the side, but stopped when Natsumi reached out.

"Wait, one more! I need this one for studying." She plucked the _Advanced Russian_ from the top of the pile and added it to her much smaller intended purchase.

The woman chuckled and began ringing out the purchase. "Don't ever change, Natsumi. I'm glad you choose to keep learning. Most people hated school."

She shrugged. "Gotta make up for all my faults. My mom is appalled at the lack of cooking skills I have. At least this way, I can order all sorts of food, even if I can't cook it."

"You still can't cook?"

Natsumi shook her head. "No. I can cook really simple stuff. Like an omelette and some rice or a simple miso soup. But a whole meal is a bit beyond me. I mostly order out or eat with the twins. I like going to the place in Ginza called Le Renard Noir. It reminds me of mom's cooking."

As the woman rang out Natsumi's books, slapping her hand away when she reached for the reject pile again, the door opened with a quiet jingle and the two simultaneously looked to see who entered. The tall man with dark hair from weeks before came in, nodding to the owner and disappearing into the shelves.

"He's back?"

Nodding, Mrs Sera put the purchased books into a bag. "Yes. He's actually another regular. Between the two of you alone, I'm pretty sure I could keep the store open." She chuckled. "He scares a lot of people, but he's really nice. He kept one of those nasty gangs from coming in here and demanding I pay protection money a few years ago and I haven't had any problems since."

"Really? Well, I suppose that's good."

"And of course he paid for almost three hundred dollars worth of books for you last month." Mrs Sera grinned cheekily. "Strong silent type, that one. Oh."

"What is it?" Natsumi frowned.

"He actually left something here last week. Can you go give it to him while I put back all the books you didn't buy?"

Natsumi bit her lip and narrowed her eyes. The woman wasn't being very subtle. "Why can't you do it as you put the books back?"

"I'm an older woman! What if I can't see and I trip and break my hip? You've got a pile here as tall as Tokyo Tower!"

"Stop exaggerating! Give me whatever it is!"

Taking the gloves offered by the woman, Natsumi grabbed them and her purchase and stalked back to the stacks to find the tall, dark, and handsome stranger. After circling the shelves for a few minutes, she was unable to find him and started to head up towards the front counter.

"Sera, when I was in here last, I think I left my gloves. I haven't been able to find them anywhere else." A quiet, deep voice sounded around the corner from where Natsumi stood and she paused, hidden behind the shelf. She could hear Mrs Sera laugh quietly.

"Yes, you left them. I sent my friend into the shelves to find you, though. I assume you and she didn't meet up?"

There was a pause. "Hmm, no. Let me go back and find them. What do they look like?"

"Oh she's around my height. Has long curly hair, cute face and brown eyes. She's wearing a dark blue coat and black leggings."

"...The girl from earlier?"

"Yes! That's Natsumi! You met her a few weeks ago! The girl with all the books!"

"Let me go find her. I'll be back in a moment for my books."

Hoping to avoid him catching her listening in, Natsumi went to turn the corner and meet him before he could come back and ran into what felt like a solid wall.

"Oof!"

"Ugh!"

Unable to keep her balance, she went directly down, landing hard on her behind. Arms flailing as she fell, she ended up knocking down a small pile of books that was stacked haphazardly on the edge of a table. Most landed around Natsumi, a few landing on her lap.

"Crap," she muttered, looking around her.

"Are you okay?"

The voice, full of worry was directed at her and she had a sense of deja vu. Looking up, she saw the man bend down and reach a hand out for her to take. Body moving on its own, she put her hand in his and let him pull her up.

Resisting the urge to rub her bruised backside, Natsumi sighed and looked up into the clear grey eyes of the man she'd been looking for.

"Oh, I have your gloves. Mrs Sera asked me to give them to you."

He paused before taking his gloves from her hands and put them in his coat pocket. "Thank you. Sorry about knocking you over. Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. Or I will be." She laughed nervously, looking away and seeing the grin on the older woman's face. "I'm going to go." Grabbing her bag of books she'd dropped, she raced to the door and, with a wave to the owner, left the shop quickly.

Heart pounding, Natsumi dashed down the sidewalk, not stopping until she got to a small cafe. Stepping inside, she tried to calm her heart by looking at the menu. When it was her turn, she ordered a cup of hot chocolate to fight the slight nip in the fall air and a set of colorful macaroons. As she sat at her table waiting for her order, she caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of the windows. Cheeks flushed and eyes glassy, she was fighting a smile on her lips. Groaning quietly, she put her face in her hands, trying to rid herself of the embarrassing blush.

* * *

/*\

"So you did run into him again. Were there more encounters?" Baba sipped at his own cup of coffee, leaning back in his chair. There was a smug grin on his face.

Suzumi shook her head. "I hadn't ever run into him before that first time, despite both of us being regulars at Mrs Sera's store, and I never did again. She mentioned him to me from time to time, but I guess it was never meant to be."

"Did you want to meet him again?"

She winced into her own cup. "Back then, yes. Maybe… I don't know. I was constantly embarrassing myself in front of him, so maybe not."

Baba chuckled. "Those things happen. You sounded adorable."

"You make it sound like I was a kid. It was just a few years ago."

"Still. Did she ever tell you his name?"

Suzumi shook her head. "No. Not sure why. I never thought to ask. But that's okay. I can't go back to anything from my life then. Though I wish I could visit Mrs Sera again, I know that'd open up trouble. That's the bookstore I first met Ren in, too. Just the once." She got a far away look in her eyes, frowning sadly.

"Then there's my books. I don't know what happened to all my stuff. I suppose my mother did something with it. Storage or threw it out."

"How many books did you have?"

Suzumi thought about it a moment. "Oh so many. Enough to fill my bedroom in the suite and more. My apartment was a fire hazard," she laughed.

Baba's watch beeped, catching both of them off guard. "Well, little lady. Looks like our lunch date is done. Shall I take you back upstairs?"

Suzumi nodded, standing. "Let's go."

"I think Ota was planning on visiting you tonight, depending on how his work goes in his studio. Look forward to that," Baba said smiling. They walked across the lobby, waving to Haruka as she stood greeting guests, and entered the elevator.

"Thanks, Baba."

"You're welcome. It's nice to have lunch somewhere new, isn't it?"

"Not for that. Well, yes. But… For this afternoon. I appreciate it. Getting my mind off things for a bit."

Baba looked down at Suzumi, a gentle look on his face. "I should be thanking you. For sharing details of your life with me. I'm sorry you've lost your friends and family. All those things you used to have. But you have us now, right?"

"That's true," she laughed. "You guys are a handful. But the good kind."

Baba bid her goodbye as she entered her suite and, once the door shut, he went to the penthouse lounge.

"Mamo, wake up!"

Called suddenly, Kishi jumped from the noise of disturbed silence. "What is it?! You're so damn loud!"

"I need a favor! Can you get me the missing person's report on Suzumi?"

Kishi yawned. "Why?"

"I want to do something for her but having that will cut down on my work. Something like that should be easy for you, right?"

He blinked sleepily. "I s'ppose. When do you want it?" He reached out for his cigarettes on the table and pulled one, lighting it.

"Before the end of the week? I don't know how long this will take me but the longer I can prepare, the better."

"Whaddya plannin'?"

Baba sat on the couch across from Kishi, crossed his legs, and smiled. "Our Suzumi likes books. So I'm going to steal her library back."

* * *

 **A/N** : _**Aerl** , I hope you've enjoyed your gift! Thanks for sticking with Little Sparrow and I hope you stick with me and the story!_

 _Please leave a review to let me know what you're all thinking! Thanks for reading!_

 _itakethewords_


End file.
